GREENOCK made an early exit from this season’s Scottish Junior Cup, as they found crack East side Newtongrange Star too hot to handle.

There wasn’t a vast gap between the sides, but the Midlothian men showed why they currently lead the East Region Superleague, with a solid performance which never allowed the Ravenscraig men to get a foothold in the match.

Prior to kick-off there was a well-observed one minute silence in memory of SJFA West Region treasurer Davie McAllister, whose funeral took place on Friday. Davie, who was also a previous match secretary at Yoker Athletic, had served Junior football over many years and was highly regarded within the game.

Once the match got underway, it was Newtongrange who took early control, and after a few near things they took the lead on 21 minutes.

Centre-half David Dunn towered above the Greenock defence to get in a header from a corner kick, and in the ensuing scramble in the box, Sean Jamieson pounced to fire a low shot into the net.

The Greenock forward men were getting little change out of the Newtongrange rearguard, with their only chance of any note in the first half coming on 33 minutes, when Craig Brown neatly cushioned a header into the path of fellow striker Jamie McKenna. But McKenna will feel he might have done better than send his shot just wide of the post. Newtongrange took full advantage of the let-off by going 2-0 up eight minutes before half-time.

Kris Renton cleverly flicked the ball over Sean Doherty on the right wing, and sent over an inviting cross for Matti King to drive home.

The tie was virtually settled early in the second half when the unmarked Jamieson got his second, with a header from six yards out.

Greenock were still finding it difficult to make any impression in attack, with sub Allan Docherty getting a rare sniff at goal but sending his shot past the post.

But Newtongrange were still pushing forward, and it took a despairing goal-line clearance from Martin Orr to prevent a fourth goal for the visitors.

But they did eventually get it on 76 minutes, with the goal of the game. Chris King started the move from the half-way line, and after good combination work with Jamieson he also finished it with a crisp shot into the net from around the penalty mark area.

Greenock’s attempts to get what would have been just been a consolation goal ended when Docherty had the ball in the net, but it was chalked off by referee Stephen Brown, who had an excellent game, for a foul on keeper Liam Aros.

And so Greenock’s Scottish Cup journey this season proved to be a very short one, with Newtongrange looking like a side which might go deep into the competition.

But Greenock manager Martin Campbell insisted his side was not outclassed.

He said: “Anybody reading the Tele and seeing the score will think we got a bit of a hiding, but I don’t think that was the case.

“Newtongrange had four chances and took them all. But we also played some good football, though it kind of broke down around the 18-yard area.

‘’I don’t think we deserved to go in 2-0 down at half-time and felt we could get back into it in the second half. But once their third goal went in that was about it.

“We tried to go for it by pushing another man up front, but the game was just about done by then.” GREENOCK: McWilliams, Murray, Doherty (A. Docherty 56), Williams, McGarrigle, Craig, Orr, Stanton, Brown (McGowan 75), McKenna, McKay (McLachlan 80). Sub not used: Monk.

Match sponsored by Arthur Dempster. Greenock Juniors are sponsored by SAVEHEAT, and the Lighthouse Bar.